Meet the Team: Marleigh
It's time to introduce you to the person who will be taking Peyton's place as the new Onsite Missionary & Team Coordinator, Marleigh Beaker! We're so excited to welcome her as part of the team, and we know everyone who comes to Casa Bernabé on a team is going to love working with her.
We asked Marleigh some questions to help everyone get to know her:
1. Have you been to Guatemala and Casa Bernabé before?
- Yes, I first visited Casa Bernabé in 2018 when I was 16, traveling with my family and home church. That trip completely transformed my life. What impacted me most was witnessing the staff’s unwavering devotion to the Lord. The staff served with such wholehearted dedication, holding nothing back. I remember thinking, I want a faith like that. Since then, I’ve had the blessing of returning four more times with my family. Casa Bernabé has truly become a second home to me and has reshaped my understanding of what it means to serve God with everything you have.
2. Why do you want to come work at CB? Tell us about your calling.
- For as long as I can remember, God has placed a deep passion in my heart for serving children, especially those who are often overlooked or have faced difficult circumstances. I’ve always known I wanted to become a teacher so I could empower kids and help them recognize their worth and potential. Over time, God has also given me a specific heart for children in the foster care system. I’ve witnessed the healing and joy that come from loving underserved children the way their Heavenly Father loves them. As I’ve learned more about Casa Bernabé, it’s clear to me that the Lord’s hand is over this place. Casa Bernabé is about much more than providing a safe haven, it’s about empowering vulnerable children by loving them as Christ loves them. Saying yes to this role truly feels like saying yes to the calling God has been preparing me for since before I was born.
3. What is it about the Missionary & Team Coordinator position that made you want to serve in that position?
- Every time I’ve visited Casa Bernabé, God has used the experience to shape me in ways I never expected. This place has had such a profound impact on my life, and now I have the opportunity to help others step into that same experience, which truly feels like a gift. As Team Coordinator, I’m especially excited to meet each group that visits. I love hearing people’s stories, discovering what they’re passionate about, and witnessing how God is moving in their lives. I can’t wait to welcome teams, help them get settled, and introduce them to a place that has come to mean so much to me. I’m also looking forward to seeing how God works both in and through each team’s time here, and I’m grateful for the chance to learn from every person who comes to Casa Bernabé.
4. Tell us about your relationship with God and why you’ve chosen to serve as a full-time missionary.
- I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was four years old, and ever since He has been steadily working in my heart. Over the years, I’ve experienced His healing in ways I never thought possible. I’ve walked with Him through seasons of unexpected loss and challenges I never could’ve imagined for myself. My relationship with God has been marked by both joyful highs and deeply painful lows, but through it all, I’ve learned to trust in His goodness and faithfulness.
When I felt God nudging me toward serving at Casa Bernabé, I spent a lot of time in prayer, seeking His guidance, and asking if this was truly what He was calling me to do. The mission of Casa Bernabé closely reflects the passions God has placed on my heart, but saying yes to becoming a full-time missionary and moving to another country was a huge step of faith. Still, God continued to gently and graciously lead me forward, and I chose to follow His call. Now, looking back, I can see how He’s been preparing me for this all along and I’m filled with anticipation for the ways He will continue to move.
5. What are you most looking forward to about living and working at CB?
- I’m so excited for all that the Lord has in store for me in this next season. What I’m most looking forward to is learning from the people who are already faithfully serving at Casa Bernabé. I’ve been so inspired by the way they serve God with such wholehearted devotion, and I’m eager to grow under their example. I know the Lord is going to teach me so much about Himself, about service, and about who He’s calling me to be, and I can’t wait to see all the ways He’s going to stretch and grow me.
6. What is difficult right now about this transition?
- This season has been full of a lot of goodbyes. I’ve finished student teaching, graduated from college, moved out of the place I’ve called home for the past four years, and watched many of my friends start new jobs and move to new cities. Saying goodbye to such a meaningful season and to so many incredible people has been both beautiful and deeply challenging. It’s overwhelming at times, letting go of what has been familiar and stepping into the unknown, but I’m trusting that God is with me in the in-between and preparing me for what’s ahead.
7. How can we be praying for you during this time of transition?
- My biggest prayer request right now is that the Lord would prepare me spiritually, emotionally, and practically for all that this transition involves. There’s a lot to do on the physical side, like packing, moving, and completing paperwork. But there’s also a lot to process mentally and emotionally as I step into this new chapter. I would so appreciate prayers for peace, clarity, and readiness as I prepare to follow God’s call into full-time ministry.
Please join us in praying for both Peyton and Marleigh in this time of transition for each of them. We're so thankful for Peyton's faithful years of service, and we're excited to welcome Marleigh to the Friends of Children Everywhere team!